Ten Primates Among
Living Carolinians
II is needless to say that all of our readers
won't agree with Mr. Lawrence’s list, bnt at
least they have the same opportunity he
had — make out a list of their own.
VERYONE has heard the ex¬
pression "between the devil
and the deep blue sea,” but
few have ever found themselves
in such position as I do in trying
to select from the hundreds of
eminent Carolinians now living,
the ten to be entitled to rank as
primates in the present day annals
of the State. I do not indulge in
any vain hope that any of my
readers will agree with me in all
of my selections, but, as Judge
Meekins said some time ago: if you
do not disagree with me in more
than nine cases out of ten I shall
feel fair to middling. Our father.
Noah, invited a Scotchman to have
a seat in his ark, an offer which
the proud Scot haughtily declined
saying "I hae a boat o' my ain."
So the only suggestion 1 can make
is that if you do not agree with my
selections, make a list of your ain.
Ambassador Josephus Daniels
So much has recently been said
about our Uncle Joe that it would
seem like "carrying coals to New¬
castle" to say anything further on
the subject; yet no list of living
primates would be complete with¬
out placing him at the top of the
list. Years ago his genius as an edi¬
tor. his ceaseless warfare for the
people against privilege and
monopoly, caused him to graduate
into the class of the statesman.
After first becoming a dominant
figure on the field of the State, his
statecraft soon brought him into
Southwide notice and his paper be¬
came one of the most influential
among Southern journals; and his
influence soon spread throughout
the nation. He is a splendid ex¬
ample of the truth of the aphorism
“peace hath her victories no less
renowned than war.” for he has
fought hundreds of battles for the
public weal, and few there were
from which he did not emerge the
final victor.
In 1913 when the Democratic
ticket was successful, and Wilson
became President, he was prompt-
20
B« # R. C. LAWRENCE
ly named Secretary of the Navy,
and in this capacity his service in
the First World War is so well
known that it would be a twice-
told tale to repeat it here. It has
been said that no man is a hero
to his valet, but when Roosevelt
rose to political power, he recog¬
nized the statesmanship of his
former chief and designated him
as Ambassador to Mexico, the only
Ambassador our State has ever
had. He brought to his diplomatic
post the same high calibre of serv¬
ice which had distinguished him in
the Navy, and he handled with
rare tact the difficult questions
arising from the action of the
Mexican Government in expropri¬
ating the property of American oil
companies.
Congressman Robert L. Doughton
Here is a man who is only a
farmer, and who hails from the re¬
mote mountain county of Alle¬
ghany, but who is one of the most
powerful figures in the life of the
nation. He is the dean of our Con¬
gressional delegation and has long
headed the all-powerful Ways and
Means Committee, in which must
originate all measures for raising
revenue. I can recall but two other
Carolinians who have filled this
position — James I. McKay and
Claude Kitchin. In this capacity
he was charged with the tremen¬
dous burden of financing the re¬
cent global war. Not long ago this
veteran, grown grizzled in the pub¬
lic service, wearing the snows of
eighty winters upon his brow,
sought to retire to private life; but
the President would not hear to
such a thing. So Farmer Bob re¬
mains in Washington, the best¬
loved figure in the House, admired
by all his colleagues without re¬
gard to political affiliations.
Here is one of the brainiest men
our State has produced; a writer
of potent power; a mighty figure
in the political life of the nation.
Beginning his brilliant career as
editor of the Biblical Recorder
when only twenty-one, he soon
rose to primacy in the religious
press, waging mighty battles in
behalf of every cause of civic
righteousness, and being one of the
pioneers in securing the first ap¬
propriation from the public treas¬
ury to the support of the common
schools. Coming to the bar late in
life, he soon rose to political prom¬
inence. becoming the best bower of
Senator Simmons who then domi¬
nated the Democratic party, who
rewarded his supporter with the
best patronage at his disposal —
Collector of Internal Revenue.
Later he broke with the Senator
and ran for Governor, but was de¬
feated. Still later, when Simmons
refused to support Smith for Presi¬
dent and delivered our electoral
vote to Hoover. Bailey considered
this as a betrayal of the Democratic
principal of majority rule. After
trying in vain to get several lead¬
ing Democrats to enter the race for
the Senate. Bailey finally entered
the lists himself and was success¬
ful; and he is one of only four
Carolinians who have served three
terms in that body.
His career in the Senate has
been one of constructive statecraft;
he has been independent in his
views, and while he has generally
supported the policies of the Presi¬
dent he has retained his own poli¬
tical independence and has not
hesitated to express views diver¬
gent from those held by the execu¬
tive. He is chairman of the Com¬
mittee on Commerce, and but re¬
cently Chairman Landis of the
Maritime Commission in a nation¬
wide radio address congratulated
the country on possessing a states¬
man of the calibre of our Senior
Senator. And well he might!
President Frank P. Graham of
the University
Graham has long been a name
identified with Chapel Hill from
THE STATE January 19. 1946
